The boy, who lives in Wilkinsburg, said the man was staring at him from across the street before he offered him money to help move furniture.

Whitfield said he then took him to an abandoned house in Homewood.

While they were walking there, Whitfield said the man asked him personal questions about his siblings and where he lives, but he lied and told him he lived in the East Hills.

Once they got to the house, Whitfield said he asked if anyone lived there and the man told him "no."

When the boy tried to climb up a wall, he said he was pulled back down by his waist and the man put his arm around his neck and covered his mouth with his hand, telling him, "I'm about to rob you."

"He was trying to choke me, but I slithered out of the chokehold and I ran," Whitfield said.

He then ran to a neighbor's house for help.

Police said the boy’s T-shirt, sweatshirt and tossle cap came off while he wrestled to get free and were later recovered by investigators.

"My clothes are still sitting there. He picks up all my clothes and then he throws them. He told me to 'come get my stuff,'" Whitfield said.

Nickcole Whitfield told Mayo she's afraid the man may be stalking her son since he was asking questions about their family.

"He was asking my son, 'Do you have brothers? (Don't you) have an older sister? Where do you live at?' It's just scary because we don't know who this person is," she said. "It's dark up here. It's scary up here. And now I have to resort to walking him and my youngest son to school every day and picking them up and bringing them home."

The boy gave investigators a description of a light-skinned African-American man who was 25 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 225 pounds. He was said to be wearing khaki pants and a blue hooded sweatshirt.

Investigators have not yet identified the man or any possible suspects.

Police are investigating the incident as an “unlawful restraint” and “aggravated assault.”